New food labels to shed Thai obesity

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New food labels to shed Thai obesity 
Bangkok Post: 23 Apr 2009

Obesity shock prompts food label scheme
source: Bangkok Post Apr 23, 2009

Fat kids targeted in awareness campaign

The health authority has launched new food labelling to encourage consumers to pick healthy products in the face of rising obesity problems, particularly among children.

A new health label reading ‘‘25% fat and sugar reduced’’ will be put on snacks to raise public awareness about child obesity.

The Health Department announcement taking effect yesterday lists four types of label to be used on the packaging of snacks, baked foods and sweets which have been certified by the department as having 25% reduced fat, sodium and sugar.

The labels will inform consumers of products, such as biscuits, crackers, cream-filled wafers, potato crisps, fish snacks, popcorn and peanuts, which have 25% reduced fat-sodium-sugar, fat-sodium, fat-sugar and sodium-sugar.

Department chief Narongsak Angkasuwapala said the voluntarily measure was aimed at raising awareness of nutritional and obesity problems among children.

Six makers already participate in the programme, Mr Narongsak said.

The Food and Drug Administration earlier tried to require more than 7,000 snack brands to carry colour-coded stickers listing their nutrition levels. The snacks were listed in five categories: potato crisps, popcorn, biscuits, crackers and cream-filled wafers.

But snack makers complained through the Federation of Thai Industries that the measures would hurt the 13-billion-baht-a-year industry unfairly.

Health agencies refused to give up as a national survey on nutritional health showed 40% of Thai children aged under six years were overweight, compared to 13.4% in 2003.

A survey on consumption behaviour found children spent 9,800 baht a year on junk food containing high levels of carbohydrates, fat, sodium and sugar.

These children could be at risk of heart and artery disease, diabetes and high-blood pressure in later life, Mr Narongsak said.

Statistics released by the Health Department also showed that five Thais die of heart disease every hour, and more than 8.2 million, mainly children, suffer from obesity.

Nednapis Vatanasuchart, special researcher at Kasetsart University's Institute of Food Research and Product Development, said manufacturers should safeguard consumer health.

She said the larger makers could easily reduce fat, sodium and sugar by 25% through advanced manufacturing technology allowing them to improve their products.

Sa-nga Damapong, Thai Health Promotion Foundation manager overseeing the nutritional campaign strategy, warned children not to eat more than two packs of snacks a day.

Research showed cream-filled wafers contain the most sugar, while potato crisps and fish snacks have the most fat and sodium respectively.